Derek Carr

Front Office Insider: Why Cardinals could be NFC West's most dangerous team

Published Sep. 23, 2015 9:00 a.m. ET

Ross Jones

Just days after he signed a three-year contract extension with Arizona last November, catastrophe struck Carson Palmer.

The Cardinals quarterback sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in his career, ending his season while the Cardinals were riding high with an 8-1 record.

Since then, Palmer, 35, has worked his way back into football shape after months of rehab. And so far he's again playing at an extremely high level while piloting the NFL's highest-scoring offense.

A perfect fit in head coach Bruce Arians' aggressive vertical offense, Palmer has completed 64.3 percent of his passes in leading the Cardinals to a 2-0 record. What's more intriguing is that Palmer, who is tied with Tom Brady for the league lead in TD passes with seven, has shown the confidence and awareness to not take any sacks.

In his last 17 starts, Palmer has a 15-2 record. Over that span, he has completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 4,651 yards, 34 touchdowns, 13 interceptions and a 99.0 passer rating.

"Carson Palmer looks really good coming off the injury," an NFC area scout told FOXSports.com. "If he stays healthy, this is a team that could win the division. That wouldn't shock me at all."

As the Cardinals prepare to host the 49ers on Sunday (4:05 p.m., FOX), they do so knowing they must continue to challenge defenses vertically.

"They have an offense that has three wide receivers who could start for any other team," the scout said. "When you have a starting wide receiver matching up on a third cornerback, it's a big mismatch. They spread people out, and that helps you run the football, too.

"Carson has a big arm, and teams have to respect that because he will throw down the field."

In Week 2, veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald hauled in three touchdown catches against a suspect Chicago Bears secondary. With Michael Floyd and John Brown on the roster, the Cardinals easily could've viewed Fitzgerald as a cap casualty during the offseason. Instead, they guaranteed him $22 million over the next two years.

"They believed in him, and it paid off," one AFC personnel director said. "If you look at the catch Larry had in the end zone (against the Bears), it was flagged but it shows you how he's capable of making big plays. Carson can throw up the ball to give him a chance, and he will come down with it. He still has some very special attributes."

Brown, 25, has caught nine of Palmer's 12 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. The2014 third-round pick was a major part of Arizona's passing game last season, catching 48 passes for 696 yards and five touchdowns. Floyd, who has been limited with a hand injury, figures to become a bigger part of the offense once he's fully healthy.

The ground game likely will receive a boost this week as guard Mike Iupati, an impact free-agent acquisition in March, is set to make his debut after tearing meniscus in his left knee last month. Tackle Bobby Massie, a starter last year, is also eligible to return after being suspended for two weeks for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

In the backfield, Chris Johnson and rookie David Johnson provide a strong 1-2 punch while Andre Ellington recovers from a sprained MCL.

This week, the Cardinals plan to stress Eric Mangini's defense on the boundaries. Coming off a performance in which the 49ers allowed Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 369 yards and three touchdowns through the air, Arizona could certainly use that game plan as the blueprint.

For Palmer, it could be another positive performance as he continues to find the success late in his career that eluded him in stints with the Raiders and Bengals.

EAGLE GROUNDED: Eagles running back DeMarco Murray's two-week stat line of 21 attempts for 11 yards and a touchdown has some around the league wondering whether the five-year, $40 million free-agent acquisition aligns properly with coach Chip Kelly's offensive philosophy. "What stands out to me about that offense is their inability to run the ball," an AFC scout said. "DeMarco Murray doesn't fit that offense. He's a downhill, one-cut runner. That offense attacks you horizontally and in space. DeMarco doesn't want to go east and west. He wants to square his shoulders to the line of scrimmage and hit it." Keep an eye on how Murray fares this week against the Jets, a team that's allowing opposing running backs only 2.6 yards a carry.

REMEMBER ME? The Browns used one of their top-30 visits on their Week 3 opponent's franchise quarterback during the 2014 NFL Draft process. Browns head coach Mike Pettine said in April 2014 that he thought quarterback Derek Carr was "the best natural thrower as far as arm strength in the draft." Carr, however, fell past the Browns at No. 22 overall (where they selected Johnny Manziel) and was later picked by the Raiders at No. 36. With quarterback Josh McCown now out of concussion protocol and Manziel back to being a backup, it could be the first time Carr makes the Browns' front office pay for passing on him.

ORANGE CRUSH: Coordinator Wade Phillips' Broncos defense has allowed opponents to convert on only two of 20 third-down situations, which ranks best in the league. After blanking the Chiefs on third downs (0-for-7) last week, the Broncos will attempt to do the same against Detroit. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford's availability is unclear after he had X-rays on his ribs and chest. Linebackers Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware have 28 pressures combined in two games, according to Pro Football Focus. Rotate in dynamic pass rushers Shane Ray and Shaquil Barrett, and the Broncos have a recipe to suffocate opposing passers.

DON'T TRY THIS ROOKIE: Chiefs rookie cornerback Marcus Peters, who is tied with Denver's Aqib Talib and New England's Duron Harmon for the league lead with two interceptions, has been a stalwart during his first two weeks. "That's a kid with a lot of talent," an AFC personnel director told FOXSports.com. "He was someone where you were worried about him as a person, not a football player. He's big, long, athletic, can press and has ball skills. The talent is there, but can he keep his nose clean?" Peters has been extremely active thus far, also leading the league with seven pass deflections.

IT'S YOU, AGAIN: Vic Fangio spent the past four seasons game planning for the Seahawks twice a year, and the former 49ers defensive coordinator will meet his old rivals again Sunday while serving in the same role for the Bears. Though, the Chicago defense is coming off a forgettable performance, it must key in on tight end Jimmy Graham, who is off to a slow start with his new club. Teams tend to forget about players when their production falls, but one NFC scout predicted that the Seahawks will emphasize challenging rookie safety Adrian Amos on seam routes.